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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884219">When Yuugi had A Dozen Semi-Strangers Crash Into His House...A.K.A. Please Don't Practice Magic At Midnight</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzlDragon/pseuds/PuzlDragon'>PuzlDragon</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Yu-Gi-Oh! - All Media Types, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Are The Gods Going To Smite Us, Card Games, Children of Characters, Coffee Is An Energy Potion, Comedy, Cute Kids, Domestic Bliss, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Family Reunions, Friendship, Hilarity Ensues, In-Laws, It's A Schoolnight, M/M, Magic, Magical Accidents, Multi, Murphy's Law, Nerdiness, Pets, Polyamory Negotiations, Reunited and It Feels So Good, So Married, Time Travel, bye-bye door, mama bear - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 15:16:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,901</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23884219</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PuzlDragon/pseuds/PuzlDragon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Atem was unsealed from the Millennium Puzzle when they offered the items up in the temple. Now, years later, he lives a happy life with his husband, Yuugi. They have nice jobs, a beautiful house, and Atem has the best kids on the planet, don't even try to deny it.</p><p>And then people from Atem's past come crashing into their living room. Literally.</p><p>Welcome to the modern world, everyone.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Atem &amp; Mahaado | Mahad, Atem &amp; Mutou Sugoroku | Solomon Moto, Atem &amp; Priest Seto, Atem's Mother &amp; Atem, Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Bakura Ryou &amp; Honda Hiroto &amp; Jounouchi Katsuya &amp; Mazaki Anzu &amp; Mutou Yuugi, Kaiba Seto/Kisara/Priest Seto, Mutou Sugoroku | Solomon Moto &amp; Mutou Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi &amp; Mutou Yuugi's Mother, Mutou Yuugi's Mother &amp; Atem, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi, Pharao Akhenamkhanen | Pharaoh Aknamkanon/Atem's Mother, Pharaoh Aknamkanon &amp; Atem</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>117</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>96</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Mistakes Were Made</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So. Guess what. I lost near all my wips. I had dozens of them. Gone.</p><p>So instead of working on chapters that I had already written and were going to post, or restarting not yet stories from scratch, I worked on an idea I've had for a while. Something fun, that won't make me want to cry because I'm redoing it. Something fun, so I actually enjoy writing.</p><p>Hope y'all like it.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    Yuugi is an average Domino City citizen. He has a job, like much of Domino City, in the game technology sector. He is a loving husband, and father to three children. He is a respectful son, and makes his offerings at the shrine regularly. He loves his friends. His beloved husband is an unsealed ex-king from ancient Egypt (Kemet!) who Yuugi helped prevent world destruction by demons with, and went on a variety of other adventures with, but now works in a museum because he is very pissed about artifact and tomb disrespect.</p><p><br/>
    ...Alright. So maybe, just maybe, Yuugi and Atem aren't the average guys on the block. But with all the adventures long passed, they focus on the future. A future together. And it was a bright one.</p><p><br/>
    Except for the nights. This night in particular. Because, somehow, this night a bunch of people from ancient Egypt (<em>Kemet</em>, Yuugi!) decide to magically break into his house.</p><p>Listen, the kids have school tomorrow.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>    "Mahaad, how many years until Atem comes to Aaru?" Mana, a sprightly thirteen year old asks her once friend, and forever mentor.</p><p><br/>
    "I am uncertain, but we should be glad Atem has been unsealed from the pendant and has a chance to live his life again. From what we can tell, he was in that thing for millennia with the demon god he defeated. He deserves this," Mahaad snaps at her.</p><p><br/>
    "I'm not saying he doesn't! It's just been millennia, and time here passes so slowwwww. I really, really miss him! Isn't there some magic we can do to check on him, Mahaad?" She whines. Mahaad sighs. It isn't her fault she's still childish. Thirteen, forever. She's never had a chance to mature. Which means he has received the brunt of this...for millennia.</p><p><br/>
    "I honestly do not know of any such magic. When the palace and half the city was destroyed, most of the people we knew ended up here with us. None of us had anyone to check <em>on.</em>" Except for Atem. Atem, whom they couldn't check on. And Seto and Isis. Whose prayers for them were heard even in Aaru, being Pharaoh and High Priestess. Mahaad turns to his friendly pesterer. He smiles at her.</p><p><br/>
    "How about this. If we search together, we can clear the library quickly. If there is a spell, we can learn it and show the others."</p><p><br/>
    "Yay!" Mana jumps up with delight. He's glad as well. If there's a chance to check on his old friend again, it's nothing to ignore. They reach the library together, Mana skipping ahead with delight. Both of them expect it to take a while. It doesn't.</p><p><br/>
    They search by topic, and find a dust-coated scroll right in the section they need, pushed far to the back. The well-worn papyrus and the other writings mentioning it tell of a once common spell. A way to look upon the fates of their beloved ones still on Earth. It acts as a sort of scrying.</p><p><br/>
    Just like seeing the future, or the past, which lay separately from the present in existence, so too does the spell let them see what is separate from them. Focus generally, and you see what is happening on Earth. Focus specifically and you see your family. No one has used it for a long time. But that doesn't concern them. Kemet stopped being Kemet a long time ago. Much less, their gods be worshipped. No one has anyone left on Earth to think of. No one but them.</p><p><br/>
    It doesn't take long to find Atem's parents or the rest of the Millennium Court. Mana is both very quick and very loud when excited. Like now. And they delight in the news. Swiftly, they gather together by a large garden pond.</p><p><br/>
    "The text says that if we gather around a large, flat surface of water, we can use it like a mirror into the other realm we wish to see. We must be connected during the spell. We must not let go of each other's hands during this process, lest any of us get lost," Isis reads from the scroll. </p><p><br/>
    "Do all of us need to memorize the spell, or just one main caster?" Pharaoh Seto asks. Ever since he was informed he has had an intensity he has not carried since before the Millennium Disaster. The mention of his friend and cousin seemed to ignite it, again.</p><p><br/>
    "Both," Mahaad says. "There is a main caster that shall chant the whole spell, but everyone must chant a portion of it to be involved." Seto nods, eyes searing a hole into the scroll.</p><p><br/>
    "Siamun, my friend. I have a question." Pharaoh Aknamkanon asks.</p><p><br/>
    "Speak, my pharaoh. I hold nothing back," Siamun responds.</p><p><br/>
    "Why did we not think of this incantation before now?" Siamun ponders, stroking his beard.</p><p><br/>
    "Well, my pharaoh, I must confess I had thought of this magic before. However, the millennium items prevented anyone from scrying upon individuals holding them. This prevented us from looking after affairs during both your son's and nephew's reigns. When your son was unsealed those decades ago, I must confess I forgot. I was so used to being unable to check on him, that the thought the items had been destroyed did not add together in my mind. I apologize for my oversight."</p><p><br/>
    "Do not be sorry, my friend. Millenniums can do things to one's memories. And after all, none of us have thought of it until now either. I am just glad to hear we can finally check upon my son's welfare after all this time." Aknamkanon clutches his wife's hand. She smiles back at him.</p><p><br/>
    The sacrifice and torment of his son was thought to be an eternal thing. A tragedy upon an innocent, and brave soul. The recent surprise of his son's unsealing from the puzzle (and destruction of Zorc and the cursed items) was more then good news. It was a blessing upon their hearts. The tears and crys and begs to the gods for thousands of days had finally been answered.</p><p><br/>
    The scroll is passed around and they all take their turns of reading the passage. They practice the incantation both separately and together, until they are all satisfied. Then they join hands, and Mahaad leads the chanting. They pause at the end, and are still. They stare into the smooth surface of the garden pond, surrounded by soft flowers...but empty of any vision of the living realm. They look around at each other, uncertain. Did it only work at certain times? Was there some other part of the process detailed in another text? But they dare not say anything, not with loose magic about.</p><p>    Suddenly, it is dark. All around them, darkness everywhere. A darkness that devours all suggestion of light. There is a tugging, deep inside their stomachs. Then it feels as if they are spinning. A loud pop, and they are surrounded with darkness, once again. But it is a soft darkness. One that embraces the moon's light outside a window.</p><p>    ....A window.</p><p>    Sure enough, they stand in a circle in a room, no longer sitting around a circle pond in Aaru's gardens. They stand around in a circle, hands held, in a room that has the moon's soft light, several items with glowing circles, and many unfamiliar things. They pause, surveying their surroundings.</p><p>    "Siamun, my friend. I think we did not do this right."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the <a href="https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/llfcommentproject">LLF Comment Project</a>, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><ul>
<li>Short comments</li>
<li>Long comments</li>
<li>Questions</li>
<li>Constructive criticism</li>
<li>“&lt;3” as extra kudos</li>
<li>Reader-reader interaction</li>
</ul><p>
  <a href="https://longlivefeedback.tumblr.com/post/170952243543/now-presenting-the-llf-comment-builder-beta">LLF Comment Builder</a>
</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Snooping When You Should Be Sleeping</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so glad everyone is enjoying this! This story is really reminding me how much I enjoy writing. I hope to be able to face my lost wips and outlines and be able to finish my lost work soon. But for now, please enjoy another short chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    "Perhaps we misunderstood, and the spell immerses us within the vision? The Millennium Necklace did so for me, unlike other ways of magic," Isis ponders. At this moment, Seto releases his Uncle's and Siamun's hands. Aknamkanon gasps.</p><p>    "Seto, my son! We cannot let go of each other unless our souls are to get lost between realms!" Aknamkanon, upon discovery of his brother's actions, had claimed Seto as his own. </p><p>    "Lost? Like we are now?" Seto replies. To anyone else, it would be snapped. But Seto was never negative to his uncle. Seto never said a thing about the claiming. At all. But he treated him with respect he gave no one else.</p><p>    Seto approaches a shelf filled with flat boxes. He lifts one up. He turns to Isis.</p><p>    "Did the cursed necklace let you interact with your visions?" His eyebrows are pinched as he shakes the box lightly. It rattles loudly.</p><p>    "No...no it did not." Isis looks as shaken as the boxes contents. Seto huffs.</p><p>    "So we are already lost. Whole, at least. Not a wandering soul. But we are lost." Seto huffs again, before taking the lid off the box. It's made of an extremely light material. He shakes it, and the colorful thing practically wobbles.</p><p>    "Seto! How disgraceful for someone of your stature to be going through another person's property!" Siamun is rather distressed at this point. He already was, but this is just honey on the cake.</p><p>    "Shush, Siamun. I am gathering clues to find out where we are. Not stealing things. Nor snooping. If we know where the spell sent us, it might help us get back faster. And given the huge amount of these boxes it's a good start." Seto waves his arm in front of the shelves. Indeed, there three sets of shelves covered with flat boxes, and skinny ones. Containers too small to hold food, or tools. Not scrolls, or the three rows of tomes on the top of another shelf set.</p><p>    "While I dislike the idea of riffling through someone's things, Pharaoh Seto is correct. We need to figure out where we have arrived." Shada adds. It does not change how slow, and hesitantly he turns to a box tucked beside a couch. He winces every moment that passes as he lifts the lid.</p><p>    "Given the couch, I believe we are in a living or meeting space. What did you find in the box, Seto?" Kisara asks.</p><p>    "Games." Instantly, everyone perks up.</p><p>    "...Games?" Queen Hatshepsut whispers. They stare at awe at the many shelves full of games. A dragon's hoard worth. Could it be? They look at each other. A person who loves games more than any other. A person they missed. A person they were looking to see just once more.</p><p>    "Quickly, look around and see what else we can. But be quiet when doing so," Pharaoh Aknamkanon orders. They all jump to follow, all hesitation gone from them. It was almost too much to consider. Too much to hope. Perhaps, it was just coincidence?</p><p>    It is Mana who discovers the next clue. She snatches a couple of flat stands with indented rectangles in them. To look closer, she holds them up to the window and it's delicate moonlight.</p><p>    Then she squeals.</p><p>    Mahaad slaps his hand over her mouth as quick as possible. They all freeze, uncertain. As they wait, no sound comes. They surround her to look at the find. Mahaad finally releases the little alarm's mouth with a cautious shush-ing sound.</p><p>    "What did you find, child?" Pharaoh Seto inquires.</p><p>    "Look! It's a painting of Atem!" Mana whisper shouts. It's still a shout, but probably as close to quiet as she can get. They'll take it.</p><p>    They all lean in and squint at the small, shiny tablets. It is a strange picture. Behind a smooth clear surface lies an image so life like you would think you are standing before it. In the first picture is a group of people. Atem is right in the middle, between a pair of older adults, a couple of children, and right by another young man with spiked hair.</p><p>    "I recognize that person. That looks like the vessel who protected Atem and housed his soul while he was sealed away," Mahaad adds. The matching hair really is uncanny.</p><p>    "Siamun, that person really looks like you. Perhaps that is the reincarnation of your Sahu," Aknamkanon inquires. They all shuffle closer to the moonlight, and indeed! It looks just like Siamun, only with different clothing and his veil removed. The individuals in the picture are all smiling gigantically. Aknamkanon pauses once more, stroking the strange picture again. Right over his son's face.</p><p>    "Atem looks so happy, my darling," Queen Hatshepsut says. And he does. He looks so, so happy. His smile beams, and he holds the man who served as a vessel and champion for him. Atem is grown, older then the skinny youth they once knew.</p><p>    "He does. He looks so happy," Aknamkanon whispers delicately. Mana shuffles the picture tablets to the other one. In it, both Atem and his vessel are younger. They are surrounded by other youths. Everyone is clutching onto each other, arms hanging from each other's shoulders. Here, too, Atem is happy. The strange painting seems to have captured him mid-laughter, forever frozen in an image of sheer delight. Aknamkanon is uncertain of what magic could create such a life-like picture, but he is glad this awry spell could let him see these paintings. If this is all he sees, he is glad.</p><p>    "Well, it seems we are somewhere connected to Atem. This is good, perhaps he shall understand what occurred....and we will get to see him," Mahaad trails off with a slight smile. They put back the detailed painting tablets and look around some more. But there isn't anything they recognize. Then they are stuck with one choice. One door has a window in it, covered with a clear material. The outside lays beyond.  The only other door leads down a hallway.</p><p>   Since none of them wish to face what lurks outdoors this late at night, they continue on. In the hallway there is a door to the left. The room is strange. It is filled with pots, and pans, bowls and knives. But there is no oven or fireplace. No baskets or clay pots to hold grain. There is a bowl filled with produce, and small boxes, written in a language they read, but with words unfamiliar. They find small jars of herbs. Or Mana does. By making herself sneeze. They startle and freeze again, but with no other noise, they put them back. Mana's searching privileges are revoked.</p><p>    Back in the hallway, they find a door to their current left, and a door not quite before them. The first also goes outside, and in the window they see a street. Other houses face opposite, and so do tall poles with lights on them.</p><p>    In the other room there is a desk, and chairs. There is papers all over it, and a strange box. They find a tablet, and by pushing a small round raised bit, the tablet starts to glow. Perhaps, more pictures? But they cannot figure out the nine numbers upon it. They leave it alone, and look at the stairs behind them.</p><p>    The slowly head up, up one flight where a room with a tub and mirror and a strange seat lay, a room with more couches and another strange shiny box on the wall and more shelves, and then a room with another desk and several tablets and a box. Perhaps this building is for greeting and work spaces?</p><p>    They head up another flight of stairs. Small little lights lay attached near the bottom of the wall, in the shape of cats and birds. Mana coos. They peak in one room, and see a grand empty bed, it's stand and all the furniture made of a deep, dark wood. A closet for linens. Another empty room with fine furnishings. And then, oh!</p><p>    Behind this door lays a smaller bed, dressed in colorful patterns. From it hangs one small little arm, the rest of the tiny person hidden under a fuzzy, striped blanket. Too small for an adult, not even the Atem they saw in the glossy, magical paintings. A child.</p><p>     They look at each other with astonishment. Shada slowly closes the door. The all wince when it creaks. Karim jumps his burly figure several feet in the air. But as they wait, no sound comes.</p><p>    Only one room left. Actually seeing another person, much less a sleeping child has paused them. Could they interact with a person in this realm? Could they see them? Touch them? Were they but ghosts here, haunting living who would not know them?</p><p>    But the only other choice to explore is the dead of night, possibly filled with rogues and animals. They just want to go back to Aaru. So they slowly creak open the last door.</p><p>    They gasp at what they see inside. And then, disaster.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Short comments<br/>Long comments<br/>Questions<br/>Constructive criticism<br/>“&lt;3” as extra kudos<br/>Reader-reader interaction<br/>LLF Comment Builder</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Menagerie</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Please enjoy! (I may have had too much fun writing this.)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    Inside the room, they find Atem. And his champion. Together.</p><p>    They are curled together, tight as can be. The only truly visible parts of them are their hair, the rest hidden under giant fluffy blankets, half a teeny, tiny body who is draped across both their faces, and a mass of several cats the size of dogs. There also seems to be actual dogs. The child's bottom and a single leg sticks straight up in the air to rest against the headboard. One dog snores. A cat eats a cloth it probably shouldn't be.</p><p>    One little hand is smashing Atem's prominent nose into his cheek. It peaks out between little fingers. He breaths in, nasally, from his open mouth. Both adults lay curled close. Their hair tangles together with glee. In the corner, a crib lays. Snuffling emerges from it. There is furniture and shelves all in the room, difficult to see in the dark. It is clearly more fine wood.</p><p>    Atem, so close to them and yet so far. None of them could really believe he had finally found peace, escaped from the eternity of suffering he banished himself to for the purpose of saving humanity. But there he is before them. Snoring nasally, surrounded by animals and children they thought he would never have and curled in a terrifying tangle of blankets.</p><p>    Pharaoh Aknamkanon moves the door open just a bit more, reaching out gingerly to the relaxed visage of his son.</p><p>    And then it happens.</p><p>    The dim light from the hallway's windows spreads into the room, carrying their shadows with it. Both the light and their shadows dance in strange shapes upon the wall, the furniture, the bed. And it lands upon the askew form of the toddler. They fuss, before righting themselves. And look at the door.</p><p>    They scream.</p><p>    Instantly, a domino effect tumbles. The baby in the crib joins the cacophony. Both adults jerk upright. A verifiable army of fluffy guardians start hissing, growling and howling at them. Both adults reach out for things, and the army of angry pets scream charge, led by a pointed dog in black and brown.</p><p>    They all jerk back, unsure of how to deal with this. They wanted to check on Atem, &lt;i&gt;not&lt;/i&gt; have their throats clawed out. And to lash out with battle cries would lead to harm upon Atem and those he cares for. Conflicted, the group pauses.</p><p>    That is all the mob need.</p><p>    Humongous cats as long as Mana is tall take her down first. Seto loves dogs, his patron god's animal. That affection is not shared tonight. A small one, a very square and small bundle of fur latches onto his ankle. Pharaoh Seto shouts as it digs in. Siamun's restored youth from Aaru does not aid him. Three huge cats take him down in moments. The yowling, howling mass starts fighting the rest of them, clawing and biting and hissing. Through it all, three children scream. Two lights flash, blinding them all.</p><p>    "F-father?!" It's Atem's voice, and he sounds shocked. Hysterically, Queen Hatshepsut thinks it's a good scene to be shocked at. One of the blinding lights stops, and then a clatter upon the floor. Then a light comes from overhead, filling the room. This, too is blinding. More so than the two beams.</p><p>    "Father! Mother! Everyone!...Everyone?" Atem now sounds as shocked as could be. He turns his gaze from those remaining upright to those fallen to the fur mass. "Siamun? Mana?" Siamun groans in response. Mana just wails. It's pitiful.</p><p>    Their eyes begin to adjust and they can look out upon Atem and his champion. Both of their hair is a mess and they wear strange clothes. Instead of a robe or a shendyt, they wear something that has a skirt for each leg. Both hold the light beam torches...or did. Atem's is on the floor by his feet, and he holds a silver knife in his hand, limp in his grasp. He seems torn between shock or tears. His champion is holding a large silver stick and standing by a small lever in the wall. He seems dumbfounded. He holds his stick raised, as if uncertain if he needs it or not. The children are still sobbing.</p><p>    "Are you going to help us?!" Pharaoh Seto snaps. He is cornered by the dog and a pure white cat. He is failing to get the squarish dog off him. Every attempt to coax or force it off (without harming it) just leads to the cat mauling his hand. Mana lets loose another sob. The giant cats are pinning her down. They are excellent at it.</p><p>    Atem's champion steps up and whistles. The monsters from the deep look at him dubiously, before going back to their savagery.</p><p>    "Down! Now!" The army of small, cute monsters reluctantly let go of their prey and retreat back to guard their masters.</p><p>    &lt;i&gt;"....Papa, mama,"&lt;/i&gt; Atem whispers in their holy tongue. Three children are sobbing. There is a collection of semi-murderous guard animals ready to maul them at a moment's whim. There is still blind spots in their vision. They don't know why they aren't in Aaru. Atem's champion looks unsure if he's in reality or might need to take action.</p><p>    Their son is before them. And he sounds devastated.</p><p>    Queen Hatshepsut and Pharaoh Aknamkanon reach out to their son. Atem reaches out hesitantly, as if he can't believe them. A moment. Two. They bridge the gap, gathering their son in their arms. They stroke back his mussed hair, look at him in his bleary, teary eyes. Look at how he has grown without them. He huffs and sniffs and smiles gratefully. He pulls back and gestures.</p><p>    "Mother, Father. Everyone. Do you want to meet my family?," he gestures to his champion, bouncing a toddler on his hip, and rocking a crib while smiling softly at them. At the child peeking out distrustfully from their cracked bedroom door. They run to Atem, planting themselves right behind him. Their braids swing as their feet patter on the floor. They curl tiny fists possessively in Atem's clothing and glares at them.</p><p>    The older child sticks their tongue out at them.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Short comments<br/>Long comments<br/>Questions<br/>Constructive criticism<br/>“&lt;3” as extra kudos<br/>Reader-reader interaction<br/>LLF Comment Builder</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Bandages, and Photographs, and Babies, Oh My</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is more set-up. Next chapter will be the start of another whammy. Poor everyone.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    After the havoc, it takes some time for everything to settle down. A look at the time asserts that it's best for the children to sleep and greetings to be made at a more appropriate hour. They have school. The oldest child is sent to bed. She does not appreciate this fact, and she only goes after trying to stare down their souls into oblivion. Babby, her dog, a brown and black thing bigger than her, goes with her.</p><p>    The toddler and babe are also reluctant to sleep, though this seems to be more from disturbance than a desire to stay awake (to watch the intruders). The toddler ends up being shushed in his parents arms and eventually passes out on the corner of the couch atop a hoard of pillows. Once again, the leg goes up in the air as he sleeps. His father's shrug. This is apparently normal for him. </p><p>    The babe was originally going to go in a bassinet, but once she was calmed, Atem and Yuugi - that is his name - surrender him to his grandmother's and great aunt's arms where they coo over him. Aknamkanon thinks his son might never get his youngest back. Not only do they adore her, she seems to enjoy the fact  there is now an abundance of shiny jewelry to bat at. Atem warns them ominously not to let her get a hold of their earrings if they like their ears. He's rubbing own ear and wincing. Ah.</p><p>    Then there was the animals. They made the great migration as well. Everyone is now surrounded by fluffy cats everywhere. Knowing that Atem likes them put them at ease. Now the group is just the cat's pillows. The square-ish dog, Mophead of all things, keeps having an intense stare down with Pharaoh Seto. Yuugi brought down bandages and a clear salve while Atem caught up with everyone (cried on their shoulders). Everyone is now covered with modern sticky bandages. Everyone.</p><p>    Atem and Yuugi also hastily grabbed things for drinks. There is now cups before them all 'tea'. Atem and Yuugi also made themselves an energy potion called 'coffee', which they offered to everyone. Except Mana. Mana was outright banned from it. She was pacified by the small cakes called 'cookies'.</p><p>    ".....Soooo," Yuugi starts. He's still bleary eyed and his hair is a mess. He contrasts with Atem's hasty attempts to make himself somewhat decent. Atem had finger combed through his hair, and thrown on a robe. Yuugi is wearing a tunic that cuts off at the waist and is quite baggy on him, and still has 'icing' on his fingers from putting the cookies out. It's also transferred to said tunic.</p><p>    "I don't want to make it seem like you all are unwelcome here - because you aren't. But, well. How, why, how long, and are we gonna have Anubis smite us or something, and <em>why </em>this late." Atem turns to look shocked Yuugi. He's standing by one of the shelves, gathering large tomes.</p><p>    "Yuugi!"</p><p>    "Atem. It's a weeknight and people who died thousands of years ago magically broke into our house. On a school night. Also, <em>are the gods going to smite us all for rending the veil.</em>" Siamun laughs.</p><p>    "Straight to the big questions, hmm, my boy? Well the answer to that is a spell to check on your loved ones in the living realm, because we wanted to check on Pharaoh Atem, and we don't know and we don't know." Yuugi nods thoughtfully. Atem drops tomes on his foot.</p><p>    "You were checking on me?" Atem's voice gets soft and quiet for the sixty second time that night.</p><p>    "To try to see you were doing well. The spell went wrong. Somehow. No one has used it in centuries. My apologies, my king," Mahaad states as he bows. Shada helps pick up the dropped tomes. Luckily, they seem light. Atem sets the tomes on the low table in front of them.</p><p>    "None of you are ever a bother. Well, perhaps this happened at a bad time. But you couldn't control that. Here, let me show all of you something." And Atem flips open a couple of the tomes and passes them around. Inside lay more of the realistic pictures.</p><p>    "These are called photographs, or photos. They are made with a modern device called a camera. Many things are different nowadays because there is a device or machine for everything. Most everyone can afford a camera, and they are far faster and cheaper than paintings so people usually have a lot of photos."</p><p>    And indeed, they have a lot of photos. Every single one of the tomes is filled with a number of photos per page. And there's Atem and Yuugi. Their kids, and the people in the photos from earlier. There's even some of Pharaoh Seto! His reincarnation seems even grumpier than theirs.</p><p>    "Honey, I think we might need to talk about the situation a bit more. I love those photos, too. However, this is a bit concerning."</p><p>    "What's concerning is I don't know how long I have with my family and everyone needs to see the kid's photos," Atem couldn't have sounded sassier if he tried. Yuugi sighed. He loves those photos, too. But honey what if the gods smite them. Yuugi has seen what the divine beasts can do, what about the rest of the gods? Also, it's still a school night. He loves Atem, but honestly? He gets loud when excited. Like now. Then Yuugi spots it.</p><p>    "Hold on, did you just flip past our wedding photos? And Habibah's first day at elementary?" Yuugi's incredulous. Atem purses his lips.</p><p>    "I thought it might take too long to explain modern Japanese wedding customs, much less explaining them well to people five thousand years ago. They don't understand receptions or Kimonos or even what wedding rings are."</p><p>    "Sugar. You flip that page back." What follows is confusion for everybody, but eventually they seem to reach a point that there's some understanding of what went on. And they love the photos. Hell, if his in laws wanna poof into their living room at two in the morning they're at least gonna listen about their wedding.</p><p>    "Wait, so it's common for girls to go to school now?" Mana asks. She seems pleased with this development. Learning your academics was a privilege to them. Women were even less likely to be taught. Mana was an exception due to her father's nobility and her magical potential.</p><p>    "Everyone is expected to get an education, at least in much of the world. Including Japan," Yuugi states. He does not realize the can of worms he just opened.</p><p>    "The world expects <em>everyone</em> to get an education now?" Mahaad sounds incredulous. Yuugi understands it probably is wild for them. Still, he will defend the importance of a proper education to his death. And Atem, him and his friends had brought down political fire upon Domino High for the dangerous conditions they experienced going there.</p><p>    Attempted murders, extortion, blackmail, gangs and terrible teachers and staff who turned a blind eye to it or participated. Luckily, some students had documented proof and they managed to get it cleaned up. As a kid, it was a crazy adventure. As a parent, holy shit, who the hell thought that was okay.</p><p>    "Many jobs and participating in the economy requires people to have a certain reading and math level nowadays. Not to mention, with one people can seek medical care, navigate around  cities and traffic, sign contracts to work for other people, and start businesses. The world is just not structured anymore to get by well without a basic education." Yuugi starts.</p><p>    " There is a few places in the world where they struggle to match much of the world in literacy but that's often due to things like people living so rural it's hard for them to get to a school. Countries shoot for having the highest literacy rates possible and some places, students are required to go to school up to a certain age. Not to mention, after thousands of years of scholars and history, they have a lot more to learn. It depends on the country, but here education stops at eighteen. And then many people go to another school type for career learning," Atem jumps in for him. He loves to preach about modern education. Their daughter takes her studies seriously. Perhaps because the horror stories Atem tells of not having education. Or the privilege of having one.</p><p>    She also takes writing especially important. Katakana and Hiragana come from Japan, and Kanji from china. This does not prevent Atem talking about holy writing coming from Thoth, the Kemetian god of wisdom. Yuugi blames him for her screeching whenever Yuugi trashes a letter.</p><p>    Overall, their kids really don't like Atem's random moral ranting. Yuugi can't blame them. He's heard it for twenty years. Twenty. He loves Atem to pieces but him justice ranting at a villain is a lot more lovable than hearing him rant about tax forms, parking in the city, and which one of you let the Honeycomb eat socks again.</p><p>    Maybe Yuugi's in-laws know the feeling. Who, right now, are doing a combo of cooing at their babies's photos and being astonished at modern education. Understandable.</p><p>    And, apparently, this whole thing took so long that Yuugi hears their alarms go off. Their guests jump. Atem calms them. Yuugi groans. He smooches Atem's temple and staggers up the stairs to fetch Habibah and turn the harpy alarm from hell off. Breakfast time.</p><p>    Do they have enough food to feed this mob?</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Short comments<br/>Long comments<br/>Questions<br/>Constructive criticism<br/>“&lt;3” as extra kudos<br/>Reader-reader interaction<br/>LLF Comment Builder</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Oh By Osiris, We Have A Doorbell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Was expecting another mess other than this one to occur...but Kaiba want's to meet Kisara NOW. Lmao. Please enjoy.</p><p>Note: I know you don't put grilled salmon and tamagoyaki in the oven, if there's confusion. I mean keeping it warm. If you've never cooked for a very large amount of people before, I reccomend putting your oven on low or warm to keep your food for some people warm while you cook everything else!</p><p>Also, I've never used onigiri molds, but I need to get one. They seem very quick to use!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    Turns out, they do have enough food. They had both accidentally gone to the grocery store the day before. They had planned to take the extra food and make meals to freeze before hand. However, it worked out in their favor of hosting some 'I commit magical bullshit at night' in-laws. The question now is: would they eat it?</p><p>    "Hey, everyone! So how about breakfast?" Thank you, inventors of coffee. He feels more able to deal with crazy magical in-laws with three cups of caffeine in his veins. Turns out, they are out of fava beans. And they definitely don't have emmer wheat or emmer wheat bread. But they have everything for a Japanese-style breakfast for everyone, if they give a half-sized portion of fish to everyone. They'll make it up with extra eggs and rice. Thus begins their quest.</p><p>    Cooking for fourteen people isn't unusual, they have everyone come in with them, their families, and their brother pretty often. Not to mention their Monster World campaigns need enough snacks for an army. And everyone's parties need food for dozens.</p><p>    It doesn't mean it's not stressful. Especially, when you don't know if it's something everyone will eat. At least they can shove off the task of feeding the baby. They showed Atem's mother and aunt how to bottle feed an infant and everyone thought it was ingenious - apparently children dieing because mother's couldn't feed their children, dead mothers, or famine affecting the mother's milk was fairly common. In their days, at least. Yuugi didn't know how to respond to their pure glee at what was common to him. As Atem and him prepared food, Atem had whispered to him to expect it. Atem was used to modern life. He had Yuugi's memories. They didn't.</p><p>    Atem knew many things would be a terribly mournful topic to bring up, and sometimes avoided it. The group in their living room would think nigh every aspect of modern life as a miracle. It was a sobering thought for Yuugi, so entrenched in modern ways. And thusly, Yuugi spent his time making breakfast with a stone in the bottom of his stomach, and his veins shot full of anxiety.</p><p>    Luckily, they had Habibah and Kenta being their two little helpers. Of course, then they had Yuugi's in laws curious and trying to be helpful. Yuugi tried to turn them down, as they were guests. And some of them were royalty. Who never cooked in their life. Or afterlife. Also, they didn't know the oven from the dishwasher. Atem just liked showing off his modern kitchen.</p><p>    It ended up being a game of host ping pong, Yuugi trying to invite everyone back into the living room with more tea, Atem boasting about the stove, utensils, and under-stove fish grills. Look at how much time our rice cooker saves us! It's steaming our vegetables! Don't you like our pans? Look at our food processor! <em>They weren't even using the food processor, Atem could you get on track?</em></p><p>    Eventually, it becomes like a modern cooking show. One starring an ex-king and his very resigned husband. At least their guests were entertained. Who knows how they fit in the kitchen. They did manage to set Mana on using the onigiri mold. You can't really screw it up with a mold. Past Seto, who grew up cooking, kept an eye on the mushroom soup (on a hot plate) and chopped green onions. The kids set the table and mixed berries into yogurt. Atem insisted on fresh, full fat. Always. Yuugi and Atem were used to working shoulder to shoulder. Yuugi made tamagoyaki while Atem fried all the salmon. They both stuffed their goods in the oven, and got back to work.</p><p>    It was hectic, Yuugi was stressed, Atem was loving it, and the kids were picking up from him and showing off. Yuugi didn't think they understood what Atem was showing off, as Kenta was just babbling about blackberries. But they were showing off. Okay. Yuugi's the only one freaking out, it's all good.</p><p>    "It...was not required for you to make a feast for us," Past Seto hesitantly says. The rest of their guests nod in agreement. Past Seto. Hesitantly. Yuugi wonders if he's entered an alternate reality. One where any version of Seto talks hesitantly.</p><p>    "What?" Yuugi says, like a smart person. He looks, desperately, at Atem. Atem purses his lips. And saves Yuugi. Because he's a good husband. A husband Yuugi loves very much.</p><p>    "Believe it or not, but this is not a feast. This is just a normal Japanese breakfast. Most of the world has a much larger and varied diet than back in our day. The standards of living has gone up. Also, Japan just really loves food. A lot. <em>A lot."</em> And Yuugi's in laws are now staring at the set plates with a combination of awe, intimidation and horror. Yuugi isn't sure if he feels bad or good about this.</p><p>    Either way, he encourages everyone to sit. While Atem sets Sachi down for a nap, Yuugi tries to wrangle Kenta in his seat. Bless the inventor of seatbelts. However, he still needs to get Kenta to actually sit first. Eventually, Yuugi's aunt in-law finds pity in her amusement and helps wrestle the little fella. He isn't happy. At all. But two seconds later he sees food.  It's all okay in his world. Yuugi wishes it worked like that for him, too.</p><p>    Then Yuugi holds Kenta's hands together as they say Itadakimasu. And then they have to explain that to the in-laws. Yuugi never realized the blessing that was Atem getting Yuugi's knowledge. A great oversight. What a blessing.</p><p>    They don't know chopsticks, right? So Yuugi puts out forks and spoons. That should help them.</p><p>    Forks and spoons didn't exist in ancient Egypt.</p><p>    So Atem, the miracle he is, tries to explain to them how to use utensils. Yuugi, on the other hand, is stuck trying to prevent his children from eating pickled plums with their hands. And soup. </p><p>    "They sipped out of their bowls! Why are you even putting your hand in there, Habibah???"</p><p>    They get through breakfast. Somehow. With everyone very full, they settle back in the living room as Habibah gets dressed. Then it's times to make plans for the day. They explain to them how Yuugi works to make games. Or try to. They don't seem to understand computers or television, but Mana and Karim seem to enjoy Mario Kart.</p><p>    Then they explain Atem working in a museum. Which cracks everyone up. Apparently, Atem hated his studies as a child, so him being a scholar is amusing. Yuugi appreciates the tales of little Atem. Atem does not appreciate the tales of little Atem. Atem pouts. Atem says he is not pouting. Yuugi rubs his back consolingly like the doting husband he is.</p><p>    Then they explain they don't think they can get off for the day. And no one, not even Yuugi's in-laws, are certain they'll survive the modern world on their own. Also, they do not have enough guest rooms for this. So Atem and Yuugi sigh. It's time to make the call. Everyone is occupied with the kids and the wii remotes. Habibah is enjoying this a little too much. She shows off her brand new earrings off to everyone. And she put them in just to show off, because she can't wear them at school. But she doesn't get new family magically popping in everyday, so they let her. Then she moves to talking about her favorite trees to climb. Apparently, she has used ribbons as flags to claim them. So that's why her hair ribbons go missing. Another to-do list.</p><p>    Atem and Yuugi huddle together for support. And press the autodial. Presented with more <strong>Modern ThingsTM</strong>, the group eyes them with curiosity. But Yuugi can't deal with that right now.</p><p>    "Yuugi, I thought I made it clear that if you are to send notice about coming in late or taking a sick day you are to email me a notice with photographic or scanned proof of why you can't come in. And not call my personal number. This is for emergencies. And if you are calling because you don't have the presentation for today's meeting - the one you've had two months to work on - ready I am going to be. Very. Upset." the voice of a very pissed, cranky, and sleep-deprived CEO seethes out of the speaker. Wonderful. They caught him on one of his 'I've stayed up three nights in a row working on things with only caffeine pills, chocolate mints, and pride to fuel me' days.</p><p>"I'm coming in, but I need a favor. Several people crashed at our house sort of favor. And if the tombskeepers can't fake identification papers, maybe those, too." Yuugi speaks fast, because he likes living.</p><p>    "Shut up this instant."</p><p>    "....Kaiba," Atem hisses like a pissed off cat. Yuugi would say owning a herd of them has affected Atem. But he's known Atem for a long time. Atem is just like that.</p><p>    "I said shut up." Kaiba is also just like that.</p><p>    "Kaiba!" Now their magical bullshit causing guests are looking at them concerned. yuugi isn't sure what they think is going on, but that's later Yuugi's problem.</p><p>    "I said shut up. I don't know what's going on, but if it involves you, and the Ishtars then I don't want to be a part of it." And the chance to find rooms for Yuugi's in-laws is rapidly fading. The light of an idea sparks Atem's eyes. He looks at Kisara. Yuugi looks, too. Could they? Would they? Kaiba starts closing with a 'I better still see you at work' lecture. They nod at each other. Yuugi covers the speaker. Atem turns to Kisara.</p><p>    "I'm sorry," Atem whispers to her.</p><p>    "What if you could meet the blue-eyes white dragon?"</p><p>    "The blue-eyed white dragon is here." They say simultaneously. There is silence. Both in the living room, and on the phone. Yuugi's in laws now seem very concerned at the fact that  Yuugi and Atem seem to have sold Kisara out. Kisara seems just slightly confused. Past Seto seems furious. Atem is staring hard at the phone. Yuugi thinks it is more to avoid his cousin's eyes.</p><p>    "...How many?"</p><p>    "Huh?" Yuugi asks, intelligently. Listen. This is stressful.</p><p>    "I said how many, Yuugi? Is that so hard to understand?"</p><p>    "Fourteen people, four can stay with us. I'll contact the Ishtars when it's a reasonable time there and talk to them about identification papers," Atem spits out as quick as he can.</p><p>    "Humph," Kaiba can fill even a huff with disgust. "Say the word magic and I won't help you. I'll get ten rooms together. And unless you're injured or ill, you best show up at work Yuugi." The phone clicks off as he hangs up. The silence in the room hangs for a second. For two. Then it explodes.</p><p>    "What in the belly of Ammit did you just do?!?" Past Seto hollers. Okay, this is more the Seto that Yuugi is used to.</p><p>    "The reincarnation of your Sahu shares a connection to the blue-eyes white dragon. Just like you. We used the opportunity of a meeting with Kisara -which I am certain he would meet her sooner than later anyway - to arrange a place for everyone else to stay," Atem says. He isn't even riled up by Past Seto. He seems to have a much better bond with him than Current Kaiba.</p><p>    "If you hadn't noticed... we only have two guest rooms. The folding couch also turns into a bed. Technically, we have a nice camping cot somewhere. That's no where near enough for fourteen people. He has a very large mansion with many rooms. Also, if you do stay for a long time, than you need identification papers. Foreigners without papers often get deported back. Who knows where they would even try to send you guys," Yuugi scratches his head. He is once again reminded that these guys were nobility and royalty from a palace. They never had to worry about food or how many rooms.</p><p>     Yuugi was once proud of their four story home and nice back yard. He thought he was doing well, providing every thing they needed for their family, and helping out many in need in the community. Now he feels small and insufficient. And he's married to Atem. The world's savior and once-king.</p><p>    "I...see." The wind has been released from Past Seto's sails, but he has a face of stone. Honestly? Yuugi isn't sure how it's going to go down either. Especially with Kisara looking human, and not dragon-y. Kisara just seems curious.</p><p>    So they turn on a movie that Atem thinks everyone will like. It's some historical action film, full of drama, and this guy who is the last of his people fighting with a sorceress and seer to take down a dictator. They seem to ooh and ahh at it, except for a very huffy Past Seto. But it's enough to let them hurry through the motions of getting dressed for the day, and getting a bag packed for Kenta's preschool, and Sachiko's daycare. Rushing so fast, they manage to get back to the living room in record time, and start explaining that they can have Atem's parents, Aunt, and Past Seto and Kisara can stay with them if they would like.</p><p>    And then the door breaks down.</p><p>    Like, literally. Kaiba kicks the front door down entirely. Great. Just what they need. Atem rolls his eyes beside him. Their guests jump up, looking ready to fight. Looking bewildered to see a familiar face. Or a copy of it. Kaiba marches up to them.</p><p>    "Where?" Yuugi and Atem gesture to Kisara. They both expect a scathing rant about magic, or that's not a dragon you idiot. They get neither of those.</p><p>    "Oh." Kaiba says. Like the genius he is. Yuugi isn't sure to be happy or upset he relates to Kaiba right now. Kaiba sounds like he is both a little lost but also just found the path. Yuugi wonders if he sounds like that when he coos over Atem. Probably. Kisara just smiles charmingly.</p><p>    Kaiba absently reaches up his hand. Kisara places hers in his. Kaiba reaches down to kiss it. Kisara giggles. Kaiba rights himself and looks at the gathered group and sneers at them all. His eyes pause on his pre-incarnation. For a second. For two. For three. Kaiba all but snarls.</p><p>    "Those that are coming with me, grab your things now. If you have any. I suppose I'll be providing whatever you don't have. Just remember my house rules," Kaiba raises his hand beside his head and puts his index finger up. "One: do not mess with my brother. Two: do not bother me or my brother while we are working. Three: do not break anything. Four:<strong> You. Do. Not. Mention. Magic.</strong>"</p><p>    With this, Kaiba hooks his arm around Kisara's and smiles softly at her. Then he escorts her out to the broken front door. He pauses.</p><p>    "Are you coming or not?" Kaiba scoffs. The group, which was staring at this strange display with bewilderment, startles. Those that are leaving jump up, and say hasty goodbyes. Past Seto hurries after Kisara and her modern gentleman with speed. There is a pause of indecision, but his mother decides to go with him. Atem offers Mahaad and Mana to stay with them instead. There is quick nods passed around. Yuugi, however, is following after Kaiba for a different reason.</p><p>    "You gonna pay for this?" Yuugi hollers as loud as he can. Kaiba waves a hand.</p><p>    "Send me the repairman's bill."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Short comments<br/>Long comments<br/>Questions<br/>Constructive criticism<br/>“&lt;3” as extra kudos<br/>Reader-reader interaction<br/>LLF Comment Builder</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Introduction Interuption</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    "Well. That just happened," Yuugi states. Kaiba had barged in, burst down their door for the sixth time, charmed Kisara and took most of their guests with them. At least the last thing they had asked for. It was a good thing they were ready already, because now they had to call a repairman and take the kids to school. Atem and Yuugi could do a number of basic home repairs. But there wasn't much they could do about a door in five pieces and confetti.</p><p>    So Yuugi called a repairman. Meanwhile, Atem did his best to get lunches prepared and show everyone how to heat them. Habibah was forced to surrender her phone for a day so they could have a way to contact them. In case of confusion, or Atem's various gods forbid, they hurt themselves. Or Atem's perfect furry babies.</p><p>    Alright. Door fixed, lunches prepared, Yuugi finished arguing with the repairman to 'yes, send the bill to Kaiba Seto. No, I am not joking'. And Atem's magical relatives and friends have things to do for the day, and know the house rules to not get themselves killed accidentally. Thankfully, the magic somehow let them know Japanese.</p><p>    "It's something about being able to understand what is going on in the living realm, no matter what country you are looking in on." Fair enough.</p><p>    Another good thing is that Atem's parents are overjoyed to let Sachiko stay with them. He barely convinces them that Kenta should go to preschool. Barely. He needs to hurry up and get him in the car before his mother and Mana burst into tears or something to keep him. Or, worse. Father bursting into tears. They adore the kids. As they should. After all, they are the most wonderful children to have ever existed on this planet. Still, Kenta needs preschool.</p><p>    Yuugi stands by the messy coffee table, his silky hair loosely coiffed with hair gel, and his actual silk cartoon scapegoat tie loose. He's counting money and explaining to Mahaad.</p><p>    "If the repairman refuses to send the bill to Kaiba, pay him with this. And make sure you get the receipt. We can give that to Kaiba and he'll pay us back." He goes into a stuttering explanation of flimsy modern money, unsure due to not actually knowing why people switched to paper. Or why they switched from trading to currency anyway. Atem is trying desperately to get his middle child prepared for school. Right when he thinks that all is well except for Kenta's shoes. Well. </p><p>    His crazy child slips past them and into the kitchen. Opens the pantry. And dumps dried oats, cocoa powder, and apple juice on the ground. Atem stops explaining what phone numbers are what to his mother the moment he hears the giggles. Sure enough, his child is stomping in the mess and fingerpainting it on the cabinet. His very sticky, icky child. Mahaad, the wonderful man he is, magicks the mess off the counter. Atem gently refuses his offer to clean his son's clothes as who knows how synthetic fibers would react to magic for linen. Yuugi, being spectacularly unhelpful, laughs when he sees it. He proclaims to Atem's parents 'That's our dirtball!' with glee. As if he's proud of this mess of a child. Well, Atem's proud of Kenta, too. Generally. But specifically? Atem's mortified. He feels his face heat up.</p><p>    His parents who raised him, sticklers for court manners and the virtues of following the Laws of Ma'at are being exposed to the lax common ways Atem lives now. And it's with a child called dirtball and Atem and his husband who dance and play in the mud with their kids and horsewrestle with their friends. They may have luckily got most of the cat hair up the day before, but it's collecting again. And the house is just messy. Mort. I. Fied.</p><p>    So. Wipe Kenta down, again. Do his best to seem busy, and not look his parents in the eye.  Thank Mahaad for magicking the mess out of the kitchen. Repack Kenta's bag because he's strewing it all over the house. Yuugi is doing his best to help Atem's very, very confused mother with a phone. And Mana is just screeching over Wii. She likes throwing the frisbee to the virtual dog. You know. Like there isn't two dogs. And a trillion frisbees. Go figure. And then the car drives up.</p><p>    "The repairmen of today are very fast," his father nods approvingly. They loved the explanation of Kaiba's limo and the family's cars.</p><p>    It is not the repairman.</p><p>    In comes <em>A</em><em>tem's </em>mother in-law. To pick Sachi up. Because it's her day to look after her. And she's brought Gramps and probably a dozen things she thinks they need. She also carries three, no, four tupperware containers. They smell of baked goods and she shoves them into Atem's arms before he can say anything. They are still warm.</p><p>    "Mama Kagome. Listen, something has come up, and I need you to listen to me," Atem rushes. This is not good. Not good at all. Even before Yuugi and him tried to explain what happened. Everything that occurred, she had hissed she knew. Then she angrily banged around pans and a very sharp kitchen knife. Atem thought he would be thrown from the house. Or maybe struck with her various well-kept kitchen weaponry.</p><p>    But then she turned around and cupped Atem's cheek and said he was part of the family now. Atem has never understood this woman, even as she started claiming him as her 'sweet, second son'. But he adores her. Like he adores his own parents. And he does not want to see some mess because more magic bullshit happens and he can't ease her into it.</p><p>    His efforts are futile, though.</p><p>    "Well, you can tell me all about it in the living room. Look at these new recipes I found! I think you will really love them! Oh, and we found fava beans. Yuugi mentioned they were all out. And I know how you love them, dear. Oh, I even made some Ta'amiya. Fresh. For your lunch today!" She rushes through with glee. Her voice sounds like quick rain. Soothing to listen to, nourishing, and full of life. He adores it. He does not wish to see her and his parents have...misunderstandings.</p><p>    "Oh here's these new cinnamon cookies! Try one, dear." And then there is a fresh baked cinnamon cookie in his maw, and he can do nothing with his arms full of warm tupperware. She ushers him towards the living room. Until they are there. And everyone is staring at each other. Atem has had a smaller fight or flight reaction from being in shadow games.</p><p>    His parents are playing with a sprawled out Sachi on her baby blanket. Father loved the 'tummy time' concept. His pseudo-siblings he grew up with are heatedly playing games. Mahaad takes hulu-hooping seriously. Apparently. Everyone is decked in ancient robes and crowns. And he is effectively immobilized with baked goods.</p><p>    "Hello, I don't think I've met any of you before. My name is Mutou Kagome." Father steps up.</p><p>    "Hello, my name is Aknamkanon, and I am Atem's father. This is my wife, Hatshepsut. And this is Mahaad, and Mana." Wrong move. In an instant the atmosphere turns. It's more sour than battery acid. Mama Kagome resembles a cobra.</p><p>    "Is that so?"</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Short comments<br/>Long comments<br/>Questions<br/>Constructive criticism<br/>“&lt;3” as extra kudos<br/>Reader-reader interaction<br/>LLF Comment Builder</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Confusion, And Clatter (And Maybe A Bang)</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>
  <em>Ominous laughter continues.</em>
</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>    Mutou Kagome was livid. Furious. Seeing red.</p><p>    There was many words and phrases for terrible, all consuming anger. But none of them lived up to what she felt that moment.</p><p>    Almost twenty years ago, her father and son came home from a trip to Egypt. Saying they had to make a stop to pick up someone. Someone they didn't expect. Yuugi's boyfriend. And he had no where in the world to go. No where but the Mutou residence.</p><p>    Kagome had seen it before. Again, and again. She had grown up on her father's stories, seen so many teens and children come into the hospital. Had seen runaways and homeless children and young adults alike. Once they would have worn pink triangles, now they wore rainbow flags.</p><p>    And Yuugi's boyfriend had 'no home to go to, no family to turn to'. She could read the writing on the wall. She had a bedraggled, exhausted teen with clear signs of a beating show up on her door step. To make matters worse he had never seen a dentist, general practitioner, and didn't have any medical files. He had been homeschooled, and didn't have school transcripts. He didn't understand not to get his hands in a running garbage disposal, or what a toliet plunger was. He startled at clock alarms, and didn't have any vaccines. She still wasn't sure how her father and son sneaked him through customs.</p><p>    And nearly twenty years later<em> - twenty years -</em> Atem's parents show up again. They weren't there when he graduated high school, they weren't there when he gritted his teeth through a broken arm, weren't there for his college acceptance letter, his driver's license. Not for when he turned twenty and drank enough margaritas and shots he puked for nearly ten hours. Not for his first apartment, nor his degree. Not for his wedding, his own home, and all three of his kids being adopted. Not for the tears, the laughter, or the sweet, tender joy that Atem and Yuugi.</p><p>    Atem had a right to forgive his parents if he wanted. That was his choice.</p><p>    But Mutou Kagome had been his parent for more years than they had. She was not going to let them forget that. No, she was going to make it very clear.</p><p>    So she looked at Atem's '<em>parents</em>', sitting on the soft, maroon rug, playing with Sachiko, the grandchild she had helped nurse when she caught a bad cold. Looked at Mahaad and Mana, Atem's... cousins? Extremely younger siblings? Have hula hoops by their feet. She looks at them all.</p><p>    And she started to yell.</p><p>    "I don't know what your business here is, but if it's coming here to make amends, you have a lot of ground to cover!" Their jaws drop. As if they were shocked at a proper reaction to their bullshit. It only made her pulse quicken.</p><p>    "Almost twenty years! Twen. Ty. Years. You have been gone from his life! Everything! You've missed about every huge milestone he could treasure! I've been in his life longer than any of you have! And it doesn't take me long to put two and two together. Not when an injured child shows up on their door with nothing, oh no it doesn't!" She sees Atem gaping aside the couch. He's flushed, eyes wide. Horrified. The cookie she gave to him earlier has fallen out of his mouth, plummeted to the floor. The crumb trail leads under the dropped food containers. Crushed.</p><p>    She's gone too far.</p><p>    All these years she has tried to be respectful of what he's been through. Tried to prevent him from feeling forced to share. And she bursts out, dredged up things. For all she knew, this could have been settled already themselves. If anyone has a capacity to forgive and grow, it's her sons. She looks back up at Atem. He moves his mouth silently. Tears have flooded his eyes.</p><p>    It's the worst thing for a parent. To see their child cry.</p><p>    "Momma..." Yuugi says hesitantly. He's come in from the kitchen, and moves beside Atem. It's that soft, gentle, determined voice. The voice that says this will stop. It's almost as bad as Atem's tears. She turns her head away. Sachiko, on the floor, is crying and whimpering. Kenta is huddled in the couch corner. Terrified and confused. Atem's family stand shock still, faces pinched in horrified visages.</p><p>    "You...think we did that to my son?" Hatshepsut whispers. Her voice is like a mourning sob. A funeral derge. It is the sound of a heart shattering.</p><p>    "Mama Kagome. They did nothing to me. Everything is complicated, but I assure you my family and our friends that you meet have not harmed an innocent in their life," Atem grasps her arm, and begs. Her proud son. Begs. For her to listen.</p><p>    So she listens.</p><p>    "Mama, we meant to tell you, but it seems there was a misunderstanding. Atem's story is far stranger, really. We can share it with you now." Yuugi's hand lays on her other arm. She is bracketed by her two children. She doesn't deserve them. She doesn't think she ever has. It's life's greatest mystery. Or so she thinks.</p><p>    She finds out a larger mystery.</p><p><br/>
    So they sit on the couch. Her father sits in the reclining chair, bouncing Kenta. Hatshepsut rocks the baby, and Kenta plays peek-a-boo with Mana. She's surprisingly enraptured by it. And Atem, in hesitant steps, lays out a tale from a story book. It must be a joke. To lighten the tension. But one look in their eyes, and they aren't joking. But...it can't be true. It can't be. Then Yuugi whispers to Mana and Mahaad.</p><p>    It's much easier to believe in magic when there's miniature light displays, couch colors changing ( 'Mahaad that couch set is custom ordered to be that shade for the decor, you fix it this instant'), and children's toys appearing from nothing.</p><p>    "So...three thousand years ago, all of you lived together. And a demon came, and Atem sealed the demon and him away? Why <em>Atem?</em> He wasn't even an adult yet?" Alright. She might still be getting a bit worked up. But she saw the state Atem was in afterwards.</p><p>    "Well... most everyone else who was able to fight the demon had died. And it was about to destroy the world. It had already caused an eclipse, and started taking apart the city. So I had to make the last resort choice. Shame. He would have made an excellent demolition man if he sought honest employment," Atem drawls. Kagome thinks she should limit Atem, and her dad's interaction time. His sense of humor and timing is terrible. She really, really, really, <em>really</em> wants to ask why the hell teenagers were being taught how to fight demons. But she's made one huge gaffe already. She'll play it safe.</p><p>    "And you were one of the people responsible for fighting this demon? What, were you a priest?" Hatshepsut giggles. Aknamkanon looks like he's about to roll off the couch, he's laughing so hard. Mahaad can't stop snorting and laughing, even though he's trying hard. Mana has given up all sense of propriety and is rolling on the floor. She may have made a gaffe. She looks up. Yuugi is trying to hold back his snickers so badly he has tears in his eyes. Atem just looks sheepish.</p><p>    "Well. I might have been king." There is silence. Then Mana bursts into another round of laughter. Yuugi looses control of his snickers. Kenta and Sachiko join in, delighted by the sound.</p><p>    "You...might. Have been king. Might. Like oh, I might have a soda with lunch, I don't know. I might be doing something this weekend, we'll see. You might have been king?"</p><p>    "...Yes?" She stares him down in the way only she can because she's been his main parental figure for nearly twenty years.</p><p>    "Now you sound unsure." He groans in defeat, and rolls his eyes. Almost instantly, Hatshepsut and Aknamkanon are clucking and frowning at this display. But she just smiles. A king. Huh. But there's still little moments of that teen who washed up on the doorstep that belong to the two of them. She pauses.</p><p>    "If he was king...then that means," she pauses, unsure how to be delicate. Hold on, screw this. Is she talking to ghosts? I mean, they are certainly friendly, but they could have said. The four of them just smile sadly.</p><p>    "I died when Atem was six, from a sudden illness. Aknamkanon died when Atem was eleven." Eleven. Eleven. E. Lev. En. Atem was a king before he had all his adult teeth. Then she has a moment where her heart pounds, and her breath freezes in her windpipe. These people are dead.</p><p>    Wait, they're from three thousand years ago. Of course they're dead...how are they even here right now?!?</p><p>    "I'm so glad to see them again," Atem whispers softly. Aknamkanon envelops Atem's hand in his large ones. Hatshepsut coos and strokes his hair back.</p><p>    Fuck it. Maybe they're ghosts. Atem's happy. What does it matter. She'll clean some ectoplasm out of the carpet if her sons and grandkids are happy.</p><p>    "Wait...so how did Yuugi, and you meet if you were sealed away? Much less...get involved?" Both her sons turn sheepish.</p><p>    "Well? Uh. It has to do with the rest of the story, but. Uh...do you remember the Millennium Puzzle?" And it clicks. A three thousand year old puzzle that disappeared right as Atem appeared. The one that Yuugi started talking to himself after getting. The one that, after he put it together, Yuugi kept going off and sometimes coming home exhausted or hurt.</p><p>     The one connected with a bunch of other mysterious Millennium Items people kept trying to steal. And also went away when the puzzle did. She whips her head around. The one with a bunch of ominous curse-sounding phrases on it's box.</p><p>    "You knew!" She hisses at her father.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This story is part of the LLF Comment Project, which was created to improve communication between readers and authors. This author invites and appreciates feedback, including:</p><p>Short comments<br/>Long comments<br/>Questions<br/>Constructive criticism<br/>“&lt;3” as extra kudos<br/>Reader-reader interaction<br/>LLF Comment Builder</p><p>This author replies to comments.</p><p>If you don’t want a reply, for any reason, feel free to sign your comment with “whisper” and I will appreciate it but not respond!“</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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